Microsoft Brings Christmas In August With Windows 10 Anniversary Update

Tony Bradley
, ContributorI cover all things tech and the impact tech has on everyday life.Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

There are only three days left to take advantage of the opportunity to upgrade to Windows 10 for free. More importantly, though, there is only one week left until Microsoft rewards those who have made the switch to Windows 10 with the launch of the Anniversary Update.

Microsoft has added a variety of highly-anticipated features and a number of minor tweaks and features that will give Windows 10 a more polished look and feel. Windows 10 has been pretty solid during it’s first year anyway, but the Anniversary Update puts some finishing touches on it that make the operating system truly ready for prime time.

Thanks to the Windows Insider Program, Microsoft has received nearly 75 million pieces of feedback from users—resulting in more than 5,000 enhancements to the operating system. The strength of the feedback from the Windows Insider Program enabled Microsoft to make significant progress in refining Windows 10 in a relatively short amount of time.

Let’s take a look at some of the best features of Windows 10 Anniversary Update:

Cortana will be accessible from the lock screen—so you can do things like set reminders, play music, or ask questions without even logging in to Windows 10. Cortana is also now able to save and recall useful information for you, so it acts as more of a personal concierge, and third-party developers continue to integrate Cortana functionality into their apps as well so you can use Cortana for a wider range of tasks and activities.

Windows Hello authentication is now compatible with third-party apps and websites (as long as you’re using the Edge browser). You can sign-in without entering a password just by looking at a Windows Hello-compatible camera.

For pen-enabled devices—most notably the Surface tablet line—Windows Ink will be greatly appreciated. Sticky Notes let you jot down quick messages and reminders, which will pop up when you need them, like displaying your grocery list Sticky Note when you get to the store. Windows Ink also integrates with Office apps, and will automatically change drawn shapes into the perfect circles or squares you intended.

The Microsoft Edge browser will have extensions finally. Like its chief rival, Google’s Chrome browser, the Edge browser will now be able to enhance and expand functionality through the addition of custom extensions.

These are just a small sampling of the new and improved features in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. You will also see changes with the Start button / menu, Tablet Mode, the Windows Store, Action Center and more.

Microsoft recently revealed that it does not believe it will hit its original goal of one billion Windows 10 devices by mid-2018. That said, Windows 10 is currently running on an impressive 350 million devices and growing. Microsoft claims that users have spent an estimated 135 billion collective hours on Windows 10 since it officially launched.

Of course, if you don’t have Windows 10 then all of the updates and new features will be useless for you. I highly suggest you install Windows 10 in the next few days while it’s still free so you can take part in the Windows 10 birthday bash and get your hands on the Anniversary Update.

One more thing. The Windows 10 Anniversary Update isn’t the only thing to celebrate on August 2. Microsoft continues the festivities with the launch of the Xbox One S.